"Julius Caesar" is one of Shakespeare's greatest works. It's about a
group of conspirators who kill their king, Julius, in order to be free. Antony,
opposed to the assassination, felt that he should avenge Julius's death. He
delivered a speech that convinced the Romans that the murder was unjust,
invoking their rebellion. Brutus, head of the conspiracy, also gave a good
speech, but the Romans didn't react to it. A battle erupted, and most of the
conspirators committed suicide. The styles of the two speeches were very
different from each other.
Brutus's speech was logical. It contained facts about Caesar's ambition.
He reminded the people that Caesar would have become a tyrant and would have
enslaved everyone. Brutus also explained that he didn't hate Caesar, but that
he loved Rome more. The people didn't understand, however. At one point, they
wanted to crown Brutus, who intended for everyone to be free.
English: Map of the Roman Republic in 40 BC after ...
Bust of Julius Caesar from the British Museum
Julius CaesarAntony's speech was long and it evoked pity and other strong emotions.
He gave reasons that proved Brutus's points to be incorrect. Antony had the
people surround Julius's body so that he could point out the wounds. As Antony
identified each slice, he named the man who did it. In a sarcastic tone, Antony
repeatedly referred to these "honorable men." The Romans became enraged and
attacked Cinna, a man who they thought was a conspirator, who was actually just
a poet.
Brutus made a big mistake by letting Antony speak at Caesar's funeral.
Antony's dramatic speech won the crowd over and ultimately resulted in the
downfall of the conspiracy. The emotional style of Antony's speech was much
more effective than the rational approach used by Brutus